Thompsonville Fire Board Still Missing 3rd Commissioner

ENFIELD — Thompsonville Fire District Commissioner Bob Gillespie sought to withdraw his resignation from the district board last month, but was not permitted to rejoin the board after a disagreement between the two remaining commissioners.

There was some confusion during a board meeting whether Gillespie's resignation in July was official, since the district had not met since June and his letter had not yet been processed.

But the district's attorney, Carol Landolina, said Gillespie had sent an email proffering his resignation, and that constituted a formal resignation.

The board considered reappointing Gillespie, but the two remaining commissioners, Dominic Alaimo and Roger Alsbaugh, split on the issue. Alaimo voted in favor of reappointing Gillespie, while Alsbaugh did not.

Alsbaugh and Alaimo clashed earlier this year over calls to hold a district budget referendum.

"Bobby's the most qualified person for the fire commission because of his background," Alaimo said. "He has worked in the Thompsonville Fire Department for 20 years. He knows how everything operates and has repaired and put Band-Aids on this fire department. Most important, he knows what's best for the firefighters themselves.

"Roger Alsbaugh is way out of line and has no experience whatsoever in the fire district at all and only has a personal vendetta toward the fire district and the chief. Anyone who is trying to shut down the fire district has no respect for the life and property of the fire district whatsoever. In the last meeting we had, on the record, I asked him if he was trying to shut down this fire district down, and he looked around and said 'I don't have to answer that question.'"

Alaimo and Alsbaugh can appoint a third commissioner before a district election scheduled in May. They may even reappoint Gillespie, if they agree.

"Under my reading of the special acts in which they operate, the two remaining commissioners have the obligation to fill the vacancy," Landolina said. "There is no language that tells them how long they have."

An election is schduled In May to choose a commissioner to serve a three-year term, as Alaimo's term will be ending. Whether a commissioner is appointed to fill Gillespie's seat or not, there will also be an election for a new commissioner to serve the remainder of Gillespie's one-year term. A new commissioner is elected each year, but with Landolina's reading of the special acts, a new commissioner must be voted on to continue in place of Gillespie.

Gillespie was elected to the commission in 2012 and resigned in July after several controversies, including a lawsuit filed against the commission by the Concerned Taxpayers of the Thompsonville Fire District.

Residents Erline Provencher, Stephen Cogtella and the Concerned Taxpayers of the Thompsonville Fire District are suing the board "to get the right to vote on the adoption of the annual budget," said Landolina.

Alaimo joined Gillespie in deciding to end more than 30 years of district budget referendums and approved a budget in May.

Construction of the new district firehouse began Sept. 9, and has been limited to building, clearing, and preparing the land because of the lawsuit.